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While dozens of states across the country have decided to allow the medical use of marijuana for certain illnesses, in Kansas the bad old days of the War on Drugs are still a prominent feature of the Sunflower State’s backwards migration.

Need proof? Then try this on for size: an 11-year-old boy spoke up in defense of medical marijuana during a mandatory anti-drug class at this school. His teachers, quite obviously not fans of free speech, notified child protective services (CPS). CPS then decided to call the police.

Over the next few hours, a flurry of activity was set into motion. As the boy’s mother, Shona Banda recalls:

“Well, they had that drug education class at school that was just conducted by the counselors… They pulled my son out of school at about 1:40 in the afternoon and interrogated him. Police showed up at my house at 3… I let them know that they weren’t allowed in my home without a warrant… I didn’t believe you could get a warrant off of something a child says in school. We waited from 3 o’clock until 6 o’clock. They got a warrant at 6 o’clock at night and executed a warrant into my home. My husband and I are separated, and neither parent was contacted by authorities before [our son] was taken and questioned.”

Upon searching the house, police found two ounces of cannabis oil which Ms. Banda uses to treat the pain associated with Crohn’s disease. She had been approved for the use of the drug in Colorado, where she and her son lived prior to moving to Kansas.

And in Kansas, any form of cannabis is still considered extremely illegal under state law and is punishable by jail time.

Not only that, but Banda could now lose custody of her son. And the local prosecutor seems determined to make an example out of this woman and her completely innocent son. In an interview, Banda said:

“On the 24th, he was taken into custody. That was on a Tuesday. He was taken out of town Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Friday we had a temporary hearing… and temporary custody was granted to my ex. Now the only reason why temporary custody was granted to my ex is because the judge said something to the effect that the amount of cannabis found in my home was going to possibly be felony charges and it was pointless letting the child return home to his mother.”

Keep in mind all of this began when a young boy spoke his mind in a classroom! At what point did we decide to criminalize speech in this country? Did we take a vote on that while I was out walking my dog? This kind of Orwellian action is nothing short of tyranny by the state.

Ms. Banda has not yet been charged with anything, but the terror of what she has been through is enough to make the average person lose hope.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Ms. Banda’s friends to help defray the cost of legal fees, which could be substantial by the time this entire matter is finally settled.

And this all took place here in America. Is this what we call “freedom?”